Yerevan, Armenia (May 12, 2014) — NEF’s Women’s Economic Empowerment and Advocacy Initiative in Armenia is catching the attention of the Armenian media! Two of our women beneficiaries’ success stories are featured in this month’s edition of Cosmopolitan Armenia! Read about their success here and here (links in Armenian).

The project is helping survivors of domestic violence to gain financial independence. It also includes an advocacy strategy that follows two important objectives of the overall project. The first is through women’s economic and social participation, sustained via networking and improved advocacy skills. The second is a contribution to national-level discussions on the importance of women’s economic empowerment for addressing gender violence by developing policy recommendations and a proven program intervention model.

NEF and its partners in Armenia have a three-fold strategy of furthering these objectives. It starts with an awareness campaign about sexual harassment in the workplace. Then our partner, the Women’s Support Center in Yerevan, will help survivors share their stories in the local media to show women that there are alternatives to staying in abusive relationships.

Finally, the ultimate goal of long-term sustainable change will be pushed through policy initiatives. NEF and the Women’s Support Center will prepare a policy brief with recommendations for recognizing and supporting women’s economic roles and rights. It will be presented to the Armenian Social Ministry and other policy makers, and in turn shared with other women’s organizations in the country.

Women are vital to the global economy, and studies show that the contributions of women to growing economies are more important than either emerging technologies or production powerhouses. The boost given to growth rates in developing economies that welcome women into the workforce see more than just economic gains — they see huge social gains, like increases in birth rates, overall health, education and infrastructure improvements, as well as reduced poverty rates.

NEF’s Women’s Economic Empowerment and Advocacy project is bringing hope and drive for social change – fostering conditions to reduce the occurrence of gender-based violence and increasing opportunities for women in Armenia’s growing economy.